All that glitters

All that glitters by ricmcarthur
All that glitters, a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr.
We had another hoar frost today, perhaps the -20c (-4F) temperature had something to do with it.


The birds were swarming our feeders, desperate for a morning feed.

This is an American Tree Sparrow.

Spizella arborea

American Tree Sparrows need to take in about 30 percent of their body weight in food and a similar percentage in water each day. A full day's fasting is usually a death sentence. Their body temperature drops and they lose nearly a fifth of their weight in that short time.

The longevity record among banded American Tree Sparrows is 10 years 9 months.

Source - The Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Golden-crowned kinglet.

Image
Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Oct 22, 2021. Flitting though the hedge, dashing to the water and gone again. Elapsed time 3 seconds or less. Regulus satrapa Though barely larger than a hummingbird, this frenetically active bird can survive –40 degree nights, sometimes huddling together for warmth. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Read more

Connecticut warbler

Image
Connecticut warbler, Rondeau Provincial Park, May 29, 2023. Followed up on a Discord post and found the bird. It was signing loudly near the roadside. Took a while to find the bird perched up about 2 meters. A rare find and any photo is a good photo of this sulky bird. Thanks Steve . Oporornis agilis. The Connecticut Warbler is an infamously hard-to-find bird that forages on the ground in remote muskeg, spruce bogs, and poplar forests. Simply plumaged, with a gray hood, yellow belly, and olive back, the Connecticut Warbler has a large bill and a large pale eyering—often the first field mark that stands out. Although males sing from trees, this species forages by walking slowly through underbrush, where it is difficult to see. Probably owing to its retiring habits and remote habitats, Connecticut is among the least studied of American songbirds. source- allaboutbirds.org
Read more

My Cat is Stranger Than Your Cat

Image
Okay this is weird; I’ll give you that right up front. We got Maggie from an animal shelter so we don’t know her background. We have found out that, if you don’t latch the bathroom door securely, Maggie will come crashing in to visit. She promptly climbs into your pants and makes herself comfortable. Now I don’t normally take a camera into the bathroom, however, this is regular thing with Maggie so, now you know the story. Sam, the black cat wants to know what Maggie is doing. Sam seemed quite upset over the blow to feline superiority.
Read more